Cursor AI: what this editor is and what it can do in 2026

Cursor AI is a code editor with AI built in as the main way of working: you describe a task in words, and the agent reads the project, edits files and runs commands. If you searched for "what is Cursor AI", the short answer is: it is a standalone application based on VS Code, where many familiar extensions and hotkeys work, and chat, an agent and autocomplete work out of the box. Below we cover what Cursor consists of, what is available for free, what your own key is for, and who the editor actually suits.

Cursor AI: what kind of editor it is

Cursor looks and feels like VS Code. You open a project folder and see the file tree, tabs and a terminal. The difference is the added layer of AI features, and Cursor's documentation now describes the product as a "coding agent": an assistant you can hand whole tasks to, such as understanding a codebase, planning and writing a feature, finding and fixing a bug, or reviewing changes before merging.

The main parts:

• Agent. Opened with Cmd+I / Ctrl+I. It searches the project, reads files, edits them and runs commands in the terminal. Before significant changes the agent saves checkpoints you can roll back to.
• Plan Mode. Toggled with Shift+Tab in the agent input: instead of writing code at once, Cursor studies the project, asks clarifying questions, drafts a plan and waits for your approval. Good for tasks spanning several files.
• Tab (autocomplete). Suggests code continuations as you type. This function runs on Cursor's built-in models.
• Modes and questions. The agent switches modes through a dropdown in the input field; you can open a side chat (/side) and ask about the code without interrupting the main task.
• Rules. Persistent instructions for the agent: .cursor/rules and the AGENTS.md file. More in the article how to write Cursor rules↗.
• MCP. Connecting external tools and data sources through the mcp.json file.
• CLI. The same agent in the terminal via the agent command, plus cloud agents that keep working while you do something else.

Cursor expands its feature list regularly, so take the full picture from its documentation. We describe only what is visible in it today.

How Cursor differs from VS Code with extensions

In plain VS Code, AI features are added by extensions (for example Cline or Kilo Code; Roo Code was shut down by its developers on May 15, 2026). In Cursor they are part of the product itself: the agent knows what you have open, can search the project, shows edits as a diff and keeps checkpoints with no extra setup.

The trade-off is the usual one for ready-made solutions. You get a coherent interface but are tied to one editor and to the way Cursor organizes models and plans. VS Code extensions give more freedom in choosing a provider but require configuration.

What works for free and when you need your own key

Cursor offers a free plan with limited use of the agent and chat. How much exactly is included in the free plan and in all paid ones changes, so check current terms on the cursor.com/pricing page. We give no figures and do not promise free access: verify the terms before you start counting on them.

You need your own API key in three situations:

1. You want to pick the provider and model yourself. For example, to keep a cheap model for routine work and a strong one for hard tasks on a single balance.
2. You want per-token payment instead of an included amount of usage. You see key spending to the cent and manage the limit yourself.
3. You need models that are not in your plan. Through a Zukko key you get Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, Qwen and GLM models.

Know the limits up front. Your own key works only with chat models, while autocomplete stays on Cursor's built-in models. Your own key is not available on every plan: according to Cursor's documentation as of October 18, 2026, the free and entry-level paid plans do not include it, and on team plans Cursor adds its own per-token charge even with your own key. Cursor's plan lineup changed recently, so check the terms of your plan before connecting. Access from Russia goes through the gateway, with payment via SBP, MasterCard or crypto.

How to connect Zukko models to Cursor

In brief (details are in the Cursor documentation↗):

1. Create a key on the API keys↗ page: it looks like fetch_... and is shown once.
2. In Cursor open Settings → Models and enable your own OpenAI key.
3. Paste fetch_..., enable the Base URL override (Override OpenAI Base URL) and enter https://api.zukko.pro/v1. Item names may differ in newer Cursor versions: follow the documentation.
4. Add a model name from the GET https://api.zukko.pro/v1/models list and click Verify.

Cursor does not let you add a custom model under a name it already knows: for such a name it replies that the model exists and sends the request to its own backend. That is why popular Claude models have second names, for example cursor-sonnet-5 for Claude Sonnet 5 or cursor-opus-55 for Claude Opus 5.5; the full table is in the documentation. Sensible starting points are cursor-sonnet-5 (input $0.4, output $2 per 1M tokens, prices as of October 18, 2026), gpt-6.1-sol ($0.27 / $1.32) and deepseek-v4.1-flash ($0.013 / $0.038) for bulk routine work. All have a 1M context. If models are not visible after changing the address, the article Cursor does not see models↗ will help.

Who Cursor suits and who it does not

It suits you if you:

• work in an editor rather than a terminal and want to see edits as a diff;
• run projects where rules, planning and checkpoints will be useful;
• want to try AI-assisted development without setting up infrastructure.

It may not suit you if:

• you live in the terminal or on servers over SSH: console agents such as Claude Code are more convenient;
• you need full control over the provider for every function, including autocomplete;
• you want to know the final cost in advance: it depends on the plan and model, and cannot be estimated without a calculation on your own profile.

Only a trial on a real task gives the final answer. Take a small task from your project, run it through Plan Mode and judge the result and the spending.

FAQ

Is Cursor a separate neural network?

No. Cursor is an editor and an agent shell. It uses models from different vendors, including Cursor's own models, and, when you connect a key, the models your provider offers.

Can I use VS Code extensions?

Cursor is built on VS Code, so the familiar interface and a large part of the usual settings will be there. Check compatibility of specific extensions with the extension itself and in Cursor's documentation.

How is Cursor different from Claude Code?

Cursor is a graphical editor with an agent, Claude Code is a terminal agent. For Claude Code the key is set through the environment variables ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL and ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN, while for Cursor it is set in the model settings. The differences are analyzed in the article Claude Code or Cursor↗.

Can I use my own key on Cursor's free plan?

According to Cursor's documentation as of October 18, 2026, no: own keys are available on the higher plans and on the legacy paid plans Cursor kept for existing customers. Terms change, so check them for your account.

When you decide to try models through your own key, create one in the Zukko dashboard↗ and connect it following the steps above.